Hide me in the wound of your sacred heart.Free me from my desire to be loved and esteemed.Guard me from my evil attempts to win fame and honor.Make me humble till I become a small spark in the flame of love in your Sacred Heart.Grant me the grace to forget myself and all worldly things.Jesus, sweet beyond words, convert all worldly consolations into bitterness for me.O my Jesus, Sun of Justice, enlighten my intellect and mind with your sacred rays. Purify my heart, consume me with burning love for you, and make me one with you.Amen

Novena of the Saint Alphonsa

Prayer to Saint Alphonsa

Oh, Saint Alphonsa, you have been graciously chosen from our midst to be united with Jesus Christ, our savior, in the misery of his passion, death and resurrection. You have grown to the heights of holiness and have been crowned with heavenly glory.

Help us in our trials and tribulations. Oh! Daughter of sufferings, obtain for us the grace to lead a holy life, following your example, in total submission to the will of God. Be with us, transforming all our sorrows into a holy sacrifice in union with Christ Crucified, in reparation to our sins, for the sanctification and salvation of the whole world.Amen

Prayer for the intercession of Saint Alphonsa

O, Holy Spirit, descend upon us. Pour out your gifts upon us and strengthen us in faith. Guide us with the hope for the kingdom of heaven. Enkindle our hearts with the fire of divine love. Just as you led Saint Alphonsa along the path of sanctity, lead us also on the path of righteousness. Grant us the grace to grow in sanctity and wisdom, by serving you faithfully in humility and gentleness.

Celebrant : Lord, you raised Sr. Alphonsa to the host of the Blessed, fill us with the spirit of prayer and sacrifice.

All : Lord, hear our prayer.

Celebrant : Lord, grant us the grace to seek the hand of god in all our sufferings and sorrows, like St. Alphonsa who bore witness to you through her sufferings and self-sacrifice.

All : Lord, hear our prayer.

Celebrant : Lord Jesus, you offered yourself as a victim on the cross for us sinners. St. Alphonsa imitated you by offering herself as a victim on your alter. Grant us the strength and grace to offer ourselves to you every moment, as a burnt offering, like this holy sister.

All : Lord, hear our prayer.

Celebrant : Lord Jesus, at the moment of your death agony, your prayer to the father saying: "Not my will, but they will be done". St. Alphonsa also imitated you praying in the same fashion. Help us to see you in our superiors and do your will in all circumstances.

All : Lord, hear our prayer.

Let us pray

Merciful and benevolent God, we offer ourselves completely to you. We give you thanks for all the blessings you shower upon us. Forgive us our sins and offences. Lord, you gave us St. Alphonsa as our model and mediator. We seek her intercession now. Protect us from all evils, spiritual and material. Fill us with your blessings. We make this prayer in your name, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.Amen.

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It's almost an early Christmas gift for Catholics, especially those in Kerala. And it's also a miracle of sorts. On Thursday, comes abiopic of Sister Alphonsa, the nun who put India on the world map of religious tourism.

It was two years in the making. Money was tight and the director duo of Saint Alphonsaa (as they spell her name in the movie title), were desperate. But they had a "miraculous" bailout when Kerala-based realtor Jose Kishore decided to finance the project.

For a saint to hit the silver screen is often a good story. But what makes the film particularly interesting is the immense faith invested in it. It will be released just ten weeks after Sister Alphonsa became India's very first woman saint. The directors insist they've created an "honest" biopic, not hagiography.

Roopkala, who directed the film along with Jayendhra Sharma, says the film encapsulates the tales he heard over the years from locals in Bharananganam, southern Kerala, where the nun is buried.

"I approached the subject as realistically as I could," he says, denying comparison with other glowing biopics. He refuses even to admit any comparison with the critically-acclaimed 1983 G V Iyer film on Adi Sankaracharya.

"I am simply telling a story of a very divine, humane person, a saint who lived among us very recently. It is a challenge, but I have stayed faithful to the narration and am confident that the real-life story will hook all audiences," says Roopakala.

Saji Kadamala's screen play for the movie starts with a priest narrating the story of Alphonsa to a group of children who visit her tomb in Bharananganam. It progresses in that story telling pattern.

Accordingly, Malayalam actor Mahima, who resembles the nun, plays Alphonsa and the film was shot at Idamattam, Chundachery and Bharananganam, where the saint lived.

The film, which was cleared by the censor board recently, has already cost more than 10 times its scheduled budget of Rs 3 lakh.

Producer Jose Kishore says the no-nonsense portrayal and "revival of Christianity now (has meant) the film is coming at the right time". He says the film steers clear of religious riots, piecing together the saint's life with the help of books and people who were associated with Alphonsa.

Kishore plans to screen the movie at the forthcoming International Indian Film Festival, which is held in Goa every year. But it is far from clear how the film will be received by less reverent, non-Catholic communities.